NEED TO KNOW
- One man has died after a boating accident in New Jersey
- Karl Chen, 56, was thrown from a boat after hitting a large wake in Barnegat Bay over the weekend, according to police
- The boat then circled around and fatally struck Chen
A New Jersey doctor died after being thrown overboard from the boat he was on, which then hit him.
Police responded to the accident in Barnegat Bay, located in Little Egg Harbor Township, just before 10 a.m. local time in on Sunday, Aug. 24, according to a statement shared with PEOPLE from the New Jersey State Police.
Based on a preliminary investigation, police say there were two occupants on the 27-foot vessel when it “struck a large wake,” causing them both to be ejected into the water.
“The vessel then continued to circle and struck one of the occupants,” police said, identifying the victim as Karl Chen, 56, of Princeton.
The other boater, who was not identified by police, sustained minor injuries.
According to local newspaper The SandPaper, the second man was rescued by a good Samaritan and was able to walk to the ambulance himself, according to Deb Whitcraft, Beach Haven First Aid captain.
Police said that they had no additional information to share but that the investigation remained ongoing.
In the wake of his death, the victim was identified as a doctor who was affiliated with several prominent hospitals in the area.
“We are saddened to hear of the tragic passing of Dr. Karl Chen,” Leslie D. Hirsch, president and CEO of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, said in a statement to NJ Advance Media. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, colleagues, and patients at this very difficult time.”
The Saint Peter’s Healthcare System did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
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“The world is a little dimmer tonight,” read a comment on a Facebook post about his death.
“Dr. Karl Chen was a brilliant and compassionate doctor, he loved his family more than anything and loved to brag about his kids.” the commenter wrote. “He saved my Mom’s life when she was very sick. He was one of a kind. The nicest guy you could ever meet.”
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